1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming system in which a paper sheet processing apparatus is coupled to an image forming apparatus, a paper sheet processing apparatus which is to be employed in an image forming system, or a technique for appropriately ejecting retention paper sheets remaining in the apparatus, in a method of controlling a paper sheet processing, which is to be employed in the image forming system and the paper sheet processing apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
The following description sets forth the inventor's knowledge of related art and should not be construed as an admission of knowledge in the prior art.
Generally speaking, in order to cope with various kinds of printing conditions, an image forming apparatus, such as a printer or a copier, etc., employing a laser or the like, is provided with a plurality of paper-sheet feeding trays, which respectively accommodate plural kinds of paper sheets and respectively corresponds to the plural kinds of paper sheets. Further, as one of the paper-sheet feeding trays above-mentioned, there has also existed such an image forming system that is provided with a paper sheet feeding section from which an insertion paper sheet is to be inserted and which is located at a downstream position from the image forming section. Still further, in order to separately handle each of paper sheets onto which a huge variety of images are printed, sometimes, the image forming system has been configured by coupling various kinds of paper sheet processing apparatuses to an image forming apparatus. Then, in the above-mentioned case where the various kinds of paper sheet processing apparatuses are coupled to an image forming apparatus, a plurality of paper sheet ejecting trays, each of which is in conformity with a corresponding one of the various kinds of paper sheet processing, may be provided therein.
In this connection, there exists such a technology that, when a paper jam occurs at any one of the positions in the image forming system, after deactivating the operations currently performed in the image forming system, retention paper sheets, remaining within the image forming system concerned, are collected into a paper sheet ejecting tray located at one place so as to collectively eject them outside the image forming system. In this connection, this kind of an operation for ejecting the retention paper sheets is called a purge processing.
In this connection, with respect to an operation for handling retention paper sheets at the time when a paper jam occurs, each of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication 2007-76850, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication 2003-280305, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication 2003-280304, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication Hei-11-292389 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication 2011-63398 sets forth various kinds of the related technologies.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication 2007-76850 above-cited proposes that, when a paper jam occurs in the apparatus for handling insertion paper sheets, the insertion paper sheet is ejected outside the inserting device by employing an inversion unit. However, the above-cited Patent Publication fails to disclose such a technical concept that a specific paper sheet or a paper sheet fed from a specific paper-sheet feeding tray is to be separated from another paper sheet, and then, is ejected outside separately from the other paper sheet.
Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication 2003-280305 above-cited proposes that, when a jam of the insertion paper sheet occurs, instead of making an instantaneous decision, after a transfer sheet has been ejected from the image forming apparatus, the image forming apparatus is deactivated due to the jam occurrence. However, the processing for ejecting the retention paper sheet remaining in the image forming apparatus is not considered in the above-cited Patent Publication. In addition, the above-cited Patent Publication also fails to disclose such a technical concept that a specific paper sheet or a paper sheet fed from a specific paper-sheet feeding tray is to be separated from another paper sheet, and then, is ejected outside separately from the other paper sheet.
Still further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication 2003-280304 above-cited sets forth that, when a paper jam occurs within the main body of the image forming apparatus and if the position of the paper jam occurrence is located at an upstream side from the meeting point at which the insertion paper sheet is to be inserted, after the insertion paper sheet has been ejected, the operations of the image forming apparatus are deactivated. However, the processing for ejecting the retention paper sheet remaining in the image forming apparatus is not considered in the above-cited Patent Publication. In addition, the above-cited Patent Publication also fails to disclose such a technical concept that a specific paper sheet or a paper sheet fed from a specific paper-sheet feeding tray is to be separated from another paper sheet, and then, is ejected outside separately from the other paper sheet.
Still further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication Hei-11-292389 above-cited proposes as a purge processing that, when a paper jam occurs at any one of the positions in the image forming system, retention paper sheets, remaining within an image forming system, are collected into a paper sheet ejecting tray located at one of selectable places so as to collectively eject them outside the image forming system. However, the above-cited Patent Publication also fails to disclose such a technical concept that a specific paper sheet or a paper sheet fed from a specific paper-sheet feeding tray is to be separated from another paper sheet, and then, is ejected outside separately from the other paper sheet.
Still further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication 2011-280305 above-cited proposes as a purge processing that, when a paper jam occurs at any one of the positions in the image forming system, the retention paper sheets, remaining within an image forming system, are separated from each other, according to the current state thereof (unprinted, single side printing, duplex printing, etc.), and then, are ejected outside. However, the above-cited Patent Publication also fails to disclose such a technical concept that a specific paper sheet or a paper sheet fed from a specific paper-sheet feeding tray is to be separated from another paper sheet, and then, is ejected outside separately from the other paper sheet.
Yet further, according to the technology set forth in every one of the above-cited Patent Publications, it becomes possible to automatically eject paper sheets in a certain mode by resuming the paper sheet conveying operation after the paper jam has occurred. Then, generally speaking, the above-ejected paper sheets are wasted in a lump.
In the meantime, due to a demand on a final outputted product, sometimes, there would be conducted an operation for inserting an insertion paper sheet through a gap of the final ejection tray located at a downstream position from the image forming apparatus.
Different from a normal paper sheet, sometimes, the above-mentioned insertion paper sheet, such as a pigment coated paper sheet, a gloss paper sheet, a lezac paper sheet, etc., may be very expensive. In addition, since the above-mentioned insertion paper sheet has not received any heat irradiated from the fixing section, it can be reused.
However, according to the technology set forth in every one of the above-cited Patent Publications, since the insertion paper sheet is ejected outside in such a state that the insertion paper sheet is mingled in the paper sheets to be wasted, it has been necessary for the user to find the insertion paper sheet from the paper sheets so as to take out the insertion paper sheet concerned.
Further, since both the insertion paper sheet to be reused and the other normal paper sheets to be wasted are ejected onto a tray allotted to the purge processing use in a lump, in such a case that the insertion paper sheet contacts a paper sheet onto which an unfixed toner image is already transferred, the insertion paper sheet is possibly contaminated with the unfixed toner to such an extent that the insertion paper sheet concerned cannot be reused.